A Golden Leader of the Pack
by Sand n' Sable
Summary: Rose and Blanche put their heads together to help their friend start feeling better. Rated T for language. Guest appearance by Carol from Empty Nest.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N-I know it's been a few years since she died but this is finally my story honoring Bea Arthur. This is based on the episode, "Adult Education". In the show, Dorothy tried to get tickets to see Frank Sinatra, she didn't get to because she tried to scalp the tickets to an undercover officer and got arrested with Rose.**

**The timeline in this will be in 1994, two years after the Golden girls show ended but we all know that the show lives on in our hearts always.**

Blanche was sitting at her round kitchen table on the right and she was reading a newspaper, she had a small assortment of fruits laid out in front of her, green grapes, a cut up orange and a few bananas. Rose comes in the room in her sunshine yellow bathrobe with a rainbow and she cheerfully said, "Good morning!"

Blanche looked up at her with hard cutting eyes and she picked a grape up and popped it in her mouth then asked her roommate, "Must you always be so cheerful at 8:00 ?"

Rose raised her arm and shrugged her shoulders then said, "I've always believed that if you start a morning on a good note, the rest of the day just gives you a big smile back!"

Blanche rolled her eyes and Rose goes to get herself a cup of coffee than Blanche asked her,

"How's Dorothy this morning?"

Rose sighed then pours herself a cup then turned and goes to the table and sat down and tells Blanche, "Still sleeping I suppose, it's only been a few months since Sophia died but it worries me so that she won't say anything about it."

Blanche then said, "Dorothy's always been the type to keep her feelings in but I must admit that this is even worrying me. Rose, Uncle Lucas is counting on us to help Dorothy while he's gone."

Rose then looked confused and she asked, "I don't understand, why isn't Lucas grandfather, your grandfather? He's Big Daddy's brother."

Blanche sat back and she folded the newspaper then with a little drop of venom in her voice she said, "Lucas grandfather is some damned Yankee from New Jersey I think, grandma was up there with her daddy when she found out her beau was cheating on her so, she decided to get even with him by sleeping with a Yankee. Well, somebody had told her that Yankees couldn't get southern women pregnant ..."

Rose looked at her funny than Blanche said, "Well, she was only 18, a shy little southern belle,she didn't know any better but hell, it should be true! Anyway, Lucas had to go up there. Dorothy didn't feel like traveling so he left her with us..." She then leans forward and said to Rose, "I think this will be just the thing to help Dorothy start feeling better."

Rose looked at the paper and she asked her friend, "We should take Dorothy the semi-nude Cowboy wrestling show at Hodges?"

Blanche looks at the paper and said, "Oh no, that's to make me feel better. I was talking about this, circled in red"

Rose takes a look at the newspaper again and reads the article out loud, "'Frank Sinatra will be in concert in Fort Lauderdale at the Memorial stadium, scheduled to be with him will be Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davis Jr. The orchestra will be conducted by Frank Sinatra Jr.'

Rose's face brightens like the sun and she said, "Oh this will be great for Dorothy! She's always wanted to see ol' Dark eyes!"

Blanche rolled her eyes then said, "You just about got it Rose...listen, I'm going to go call this number, the tickets went on sale this morning."

Blanche gets up to go to the phone on the wall than Rose asked her, "What if they are already sold out? I hear Frank's concert's sell out fast."

Blanche waves her hand then said, "I'm not worried about that, I know the man who owns the stadium, he'll give me the tickets just as long as I don't help the police give him tickets."

Rose looked at her with a puzzled face then Blanche looked at her extremely naïve friend and said, "He speeds a lot in his car."

Rose makes a O with her mouth and watched Blanche make the important phone call.

**A/N-Well, how did I do? I'll see how the reviews go before I do a next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2 Making Plans

**A/N-Many thanks to SunRise 19 for kick starting me back on this story! Please enjoy and push the little review button!**

Blanche came running into her house, she held in her hand, three sky blue concert tickets. She made sure the front door closed and she threw her orange purse on the couch and the purse almost blends in with the orange of the wicker couch. Blanche ran into the kitchen like an excited school child and she sees her friend Rose getting a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator and started to go sit down at the table but then Blanche happily tells her,

"Rose! I got the tickets!"

Rose just went and sat down at the table with her juice then she said.

"Blanche, the officer said you couldn't afford to get any more tickets or you would lose your license."

Blanche rolled her eyes and sat down then said, "The tickets for the Frank Sinatra concert Rose."

The realization hit Rose's mind after a second and her eyes light up then she said, "Oh! Let's go tell Dorothy! This will be so good for her!"

Blanche reached out for Rose's arm as she started to rise from the chair then she said, "Yes, the concert is to make Dorothy feel better, but I was thinking we need to make it a surprise, so we need to make plans." Innocent Rose thinks then asked, "Plans for what?"

Blanche puts her hand on her forehead then said, "Plans make this concert a surprise for Dorothy." Rose took a sip of her juice then asked, "What do we do?"

Blanche then said, "Well,I talked to Uncle Lucas and told him of our idea and he has an idea to "stretch" his work with his grandfather's estate up there in Yankee country and we'll take Dorothy to Frank's concert." Rose shook her head then asked, "Okay but the big question is, how will we get Dorothy to the concert without telling her? She won't go anywhere."

Blanche got very quiet and got up and went to the 'frig and got out a chocolate donut on a white plate then went and sat down at the table and just as she got ready to take a bite, she noticed Rose looking at her then she said, "I think better after eating a donut." Rose shook her head then after Blanche finished eating it, she slapped her hand on the table then said, "I got it! I told you I think better after eating a donut !"

Rose asked her, "Well, what is it?" Blanche leaned over a bit then said, "There was only two things that ever got Dorothy out of the house, men and teaching. Well, Uncle Lucas is up north in Jersey so...how about we tell Dorothy she's got a teacher's reunion to go to?" Rose then said, "But Dorothy quit teaching when she got married."

Blanche shook her head then said, "I know, that's why we'll tell her that there's a reunion." Rose then asked another question, "But what if she won't go?" Blanche thinks on it then said, "We'll make her go, we'll just insist that she goes." Rose then asks one more innocent,child-like question, "Okay, but how will we get the other teachers to help us?"

Blanche sighed then said, "Rose, we'll just tell her that it's a reunion, it's a ruse to get her to the concert." Rose realizes the truth then Blanche said, "Well, now that we got a plan I think we should go celebrate, what can we do?" Rose then said, "Well, there's two last pieces of cookie n' cream cheesecake in the refrigerator."

Just then a bright idea comes to Blanche and she said to Rose,"Why don't you eat those and I'll go to the **Rusty Anchor**." Rose shook her head then said, "Okie dokie."

Blanche gets up to leave for her favorite bar while Rose gets up to go get the cheesecakes.


	3. Chapter 3 Going to go see Frank!

**A/N-I have tried for two days to make a video and a banner for this story but can't! Sigh. I found a video with Dorothy singing 'What will I do?' the song she sang in episode 19 of ...season 8? When she sand Blanche went to the Rusty Anchor and then one of Frank singing it and I thought it would be cute to blend them, but was I able to do it? NOOOOOO...anyway, please read and enjoy.**

Dorothy sat in the passenger side of Blanches car, dressed in her black slack and a simple but classy midnight blue slacks and a matching black and royal blue top and she wears a black scarf over her eyes so she can't see a thing. Her lips purse in anger then she said, "Blanche, this is the silliest I have felt in a long time. Here I am in my best slacks and top and you have a black scarf over my eyes like I'm going to a execution, now what is going on?"

Blanche leaned over from the driver's seat and since she also has the music blaring, she asked in a loud voice, "What?"

Dorothy screamed, "Turn the music down and you can hear me!"

Smiling, she turned it down just enough for them to hear each other but still to block out any outside noises then she asked in her best flighty southern voice, "Yes, is anything wrong?"

Dorothy purses her lips together in anger then she said, "I don't know why I agreed to this, I don't feel like going out these days and now you have me driving around in Florida on a Saturday night with a executioner's blindfold on going to God knows where, probably El Dante's Den..." She thought about that then she asked, "That isn't it is it Blanche? Because I didn't like it before and I sure didn't like it when the police raided it."

Blanche waves her away then Dorothy asked, "What is going on Blanche?" She then said, "You know where we are going, the teacher's reunion. They are having everybody do this, take them because they want it to be a surprise, it's been a few years since everybody has seen each other so they want it to be a real surprise so they asked Rose and I to bring you."

Dorothy suddenly thought of her friend Rose then she asked her, "Rose? You have been awfully quiet, by now you are in the middle of telling us about some story about mister Hurembalfer going on some yak drive across country. Are you all right?"

Rose is sitting in the back also all dressed out in a dark red rose dress with dainty pearls sewed all over but instead of a black scarf on her eyes like Dorothy, she has a round of duck tape on her mouth and she makes muffled sounds and shoots daggers at Blanche and Blanche said, "Oh, she's all right, she's just in a mood because the Williamson twins tore down her sand castle."

Dorothy thinks about that then said, "That was the best representation of _Camelot_ in sand Rose, I don't blame you for being upset; there's something about seeing those little sand knights and horses with that broken castle...it brings a tear to your eye."

Blanche gave a smirk and they all fall silent for a few minutes listening to the **Beatles** singing _'Yesterday'_ as it played on the radio. Then she finally parked the car and she said in a sing-song voice, "We're here!" Dorothy turned her head to Blanche and asked, " 'We're here?' Where's that Blanche? At the edge of a cliff? You're going to announce 'We're here' before you drive us off?" Blanche gets out and she closed her door then let Rose out of the back then goes over to Dorothy's side, helps her out of the car then Dorothy lets her other senses tell her things and she said, "Okay, I hear other people, we're walking, I feel the sea air...oh God, you are taking me to my execution!"

Blanche then said, "Dorothy, this is Florida, you feel the sea breeze in the bathroom. No, we are not going to a execution unless you are talking about Lee Grant for breaking our date last week, man deserves to be horse wipped."

Dorothy rolled her eyes behind the night mask and they keep walking until they get up to the thirty foot electronic sign that said '**Frank Sinatra in concert tonight!'** and a grand picture of ol' Blue eyes is plastered right beside those words. Blanche places Dorothy a few feet away from it and she slowly takes off the black scarf and when Dorothy sees it, she loses color in her face, her jaw drops and she loses the ability to speak, In the few minutes it takes for Dorothy to regain speaking, Blanche turned around and took the silver duck tape from Rose then she said, "I'm sorry Rose, but you do have a tendency to let secrets slide out of your mouth when you are excited."

Rose straightens up tall and proud and said, "I do not! I never told anyone about the non surgical face lift you tried! Nobody knows about that...unil now, sorry Blanche, I guess I do have a problem."

Blanche looked at her with daggers going in Rose she turned to Dorothy and asked, "Well, what do you think?" Dorothy just can't help but smile and beam like a child on Christmas morning, she turned to both of her best friends on the planet and she asked, "You mean I'm really going? There won't be any maw to faint in the aisle? We won't be arrested for ticket scalping?" Blanche and Rose shook their heads then they let Dorothy lead them into the concert arena in Ft. Lauderdale.

**A/N-DON'T think the good times are over! I got a few more surprises in store!**

**I'm going to do this 'My Way'! ( Little Frank Sinatra humor in there since that is the name of one of his biggest songs)**

**Sand n' Sable**


	4. Chapter 4 Frank Sinatra

**A/N-Disclaimer-I do NOT own the likeness nor the songs from Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli or Sammy Davis Jr. , that I will use in this story or the Golden girl, the girls belong NBC.**

*** I will be using a lot of Frank's songs in lines and I will put them in bold print like this so you will know. I'm doing it that way for people who are unfamiliar with his songs.**

The girls go to sit down in the 3rd row, center seats and you can feel the excitement in the air dancing like diamonds in the sky. Dorothy looked around at all the people filling the stadium, young and old and she said to Blanche, "Oh, Blanche, what you must have done to get these seats! It must have cost a fortune!"

Blanche, not wanting Dorothy to know what she did to get the tickets says to her in a flight little voice,** "**Oh, I just did a little '_**Witchcraft" **_Blanche gave a little nervous chuckle then Dorothy said, "You called in a favor, didn't you?" Knowing she is caught, she said, "Damn straight, I never could afford these seats ..." She put up her finger then said, "I could have asked for tickets to the Bahamas but..._**'Your the tops'**__."_

The girls all laugh and Dorothy sat in the seat closet to the left aisle, Rose in the middle and Blanche on the right of her and she looked at the bright, shining face and she nudges Rose in the side and she whispered, "Look at her, she looks as happy as a little girl running in a field of the prettiest wildflowers." Rose smiled and looked at her then said, "Or a girl eating her first *glasfurmiger ." Blanche looks at her like she just stepped in a spider web and Rose said, "It means ice cream...honest."

Blanche sighed and they sit back then the lights go dim then a voice from a microphone from someplace and it filled the auditorium and said, "And now, for your enjoyment, we are pleased to introduce to you Mister Frank Sinatra!" A rousing round of applause that sounds like thunder comes as Ol' Blue Eyes comes on stage giving a friendly wave to everybody and he said, "Thank you Fort Lauderdale! Thank you and now for my first song, I'm going to sing a song that I wish we all could go do so we could always be together!"

Just then the orchestra starts up and peppy, upbeat tunes of _**'Come Fly with me'**_ starts and he sang the song with ease. And he sang about 6 or 7 more lively songs than he said, "It's now that time when we are going to take a intermission in the evening ladies and gentlemen but I'll be back in about 30 minutes and the evening will continue." He then gave a bow and puts the microphone down and he goes offstage with applause then the girls get up and go out to the recession area and Blanche and Rose turn to Dorothy who put her hands up in a prayer poise then Blanche asked, "Okay, how is your night so far?" "Oh, it's a magical night!" said Dorothy as she mocks 'flying ' around and hums the tune of Frank's first song of the evening, Blanche asked her, "Was that your favorite song of the night?"

Dorothy then said, "Oh, I don't know, it just came to me to hum now; there's so many more songs to hear!" Rose lightly jumps up and down then asked, "What about you Blanche, which was your favorite?" Blanche smiled then looked off then said, "Oh, I don't know but there was a certain tingle I felt when Mister Sinatra sang _**'You make me feel so Young'**_, I could feel that he felt he too."

Dorothy rolled her eyes then Rose asked, "Well, I loved them all but I wondered about something, why did everybody look at you Blanche when he sang _**'The Lady is a Tramp'**_?" Dorothy has to look away and snicker than after she gathers composure, she said to Rose, "They had to see the inspiration for the song Rose..." Blanche just smiles in good nature while Dorothy continues, "Those wild teenage years of Blanche got all the way up to New York and Rodgers and Hart got to hear them and immediately wrote the song" Rose snickers then Blanche said, "I'm going to go buy some Perrier water, anybody else want some?"

Rose said, "I'll take some." Dorothy said, "None for me, I don't think I'll need anything to get through this night." Blanche smiled at Rose then went to get in line for the water then Rose asked Dorothy, "Why did he take an intermission so soon? Most concerts I have been too don't take a break until about 2 hours."

Dorothy turned and looked at her then said, "Rose, the man is 79 years old! We're lucky that he doesn't take a break _**'When the Wind was green'"**_ Dorothy laughed at her feeble joke than Rose said, "Dorothy, even I know that's a bad joke and I'm from St. Olaf!"

Dorothy shrugged her shoulders than Blanche came and gave her the water then she asked, "Should we go back in?" Dorothy shook her head and they start to go but then the girls hear and see a woman in a re-velvet dress not far from them , start to choke on something. Dorothy ran over to her and Blanche yells, "Dorothy!" She then gathered the woman in her arm and began the life saving maneuver on her then yells, "Somebody call 911!"

A woman just stepping out of the ticket booth, hears and sees the commotion then does just that, ran back in her booth to call for help while a crowd gathers to watch.

*** Glas is the correct way to say ice cream in Sweden, I just added the extra letters to make Rose seem more funny.**


	5. Chapter 5 All dressed up and in trouble

Dorothy kept doing the Heimlich maneuver on the woman, after a few minutes, a large piece of popcorn comes out then the woman's family members come around and one girl gave her a small glass of water. Then the E.M.T.'s come, some people led Dorothy to a beautiful wing tip chair for her, she sat down as she regained her composure and people would come by and congratulate her on a good job, Blanche and Rose proudly stood around and Blanche said, "Dorothy! You're a heroine!" Dorothy gives a shy smile and she waves the words away and she said, "I just did what I hope any other person would do."

Rose then said, "Wowie! What a night, getting to see Frank Sinatra and now having saved a life! All you need Dorothy is to read Hanskefecle von Urge!" Rose giggled with excitement and Dorothy looked at her then said, "That's too wild Rose, I think I'll just settle to watch Sinatra the rest of the night!" Blanche looked at her while Dorothy stood up and Rose said, "It's like Hansel and Gretel only it's just a boy and the witch is a mean viking."

They all three start to go back in to the concert when a man walked up to them, he wore a grey three-piece suit, he was very handsome as Blanche could not keep her eyes from him with wavy brown hair, a strong nose and blue eyes and he asked Dorothy, "Ma'am, can I ask your name?"

Dorothy looked at both of her friends and Blanche looked at her with pangs of jealously than she said, "I'm Dorothy Zbornack." He points down the hall then Dorothy said, "You can't be throwing me out! I just saved a life! I can't leave Frank Sinatra now, please sir!" He looked at her in confusement then he smiled and said, "Oh no, you have it wrong ma'am. I'm not throwing you out, the woman you saved? That was Mister Sinatra's cousin Molly Terrell. He would like to meet with you." Dorothy, Blanche and Rose all look at each other in total shock with their jaws almost on the floor.

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The man leads Dorothy and the girls down the long hallway to a door with a gold star on it and the name Frank Sinatra. He smiled at them the leaves and Dorothy asked, "How do I look?" Blanche turned at looked at her and smiled then said, "You look perfect! Now, you just go in there with your breasts held high!" She looked at Dorothy then said, "Oh , I forgot, you don't have any...oh well, honey, you just go in there and let _The Chairman of the Board_ know exactly who you are!"

Rose looked confused then asked, "I thought she was going to go meet Frank Sinatra." Blanche sighed and Dorothy looked at her like she lost her mind then she just shook her head then gathers herself then goes in Frank's room then Rose asked, "I'm confused, I thought his nickname was _'Ol' Blue Eyes'_." Blanche said, "It is, he's _'Ol Blue Eyes' and Chairman of the board_." Rose asked, "He's two men?" Blanche sighed then said, "Rose, go back to school, I think you missed a lot..." She goes down the hallway then turned around and said, "And don't go back to St. Olaf, that placed messed you up!"

She stopped in front of another dressing room and Rose asked, "Where are we going Blanche?" She does her hands in a fancy way then shows her the door with the name _Liza Minnelli_ on it then Rose asked, "We're going in there?" Blanche shook her head then said "Yes, just to look around." Rose then asked her another question, "Well, how do you know she's not in there?" Blanche looked around the hallway then said, "Well, there's only one way..." She knocked on the door then asked, "Miss. Minnelli?" She waited a few minutes and no answer then she asked the same question again, no answer so she opened the door and looked around the dressing room and asked for her, no Liza so she said,

"Come on Rose." She pulled Rose in the room with her and Rose said, "She's not here, I don't think we should be here Blanche." She waved her hand away then said, "Oh, we're just going to have a small look around then leave, she won't even know we have been here; come on Rose."

They go inside the crowded room and Blanche said, "Oh, I heard she always has a cluttered room." Rose looked back at the door then said, "Okay, you looked around, now let's go." Blanche picked up one of Liza's pink boas and puts it around her neck and throws it in Rose's face then said, "Oh...stop worrying Rose."

She turned around and saw a _Tony_ award on the dressing room table and she said, "This is that special Tony award that she got for...uh, something." She put in down then looks at her make up kit and her lipstick standing by itself and she picked it up and tried on the shade then she spots a beautiful black and grey leopard outfit that Liza wears in the show,

"Gasp! Look, Rose!" Sheturned and looked and she saw it and said, "It looks like yours Blanche!" She looked inside the outfit at the size tag then she said, "It's exactly my size!" She took it off the hanger and starts to take the feather boa off then Rose said, "What are you doing Blanche?" She looked at her then said, "I'm going to try it on, I won't be long." "Blanche! We got to be going!"

Blanche just goes behind the pink dressing screen then she said, "I won't be long, I'm just going to try this on then we can shoo like a bee." Blanche clothes go left and over the screen then she comes out from behind then said, "I can't get this zipper up Rose...give me a hand." Blanche came out and the black zipper on the side is stuck and Rose goes over and they get it halfway pulled up then it ripped out from the seam and Rose said, "Oh no! What do we do now?" Blanche's face went white then the one and only Liza Minnelli comes in the room, she saw the girl and she asked,

"What is gong on here?"

Blanche and Rose start to explain at the same time and Liza comes in and said, "I'm going to call security!" She closed the door then started to walk in father when she falls on a roller skate and falls and hits her head and the girls run over and Blanche checked her pulse then breathes and said, "She's okay, she's just going to be out for a while." Rose then said, "Let's get her over to the couch." Blanche shook her head in agreement the they take her over then Rose asked, "What do we do now? They are going to expect her to come on stage in the next hour and her outfit is ruined."

Blanche paced back and forth around the wing tip chair in the room then said, "I know, you go back to our house and get my outfit, it's EXACTLY like this one, go on, scoot!"

Rose hurried and raced out of the dressing room and Blanche closed the door and she turned around and put her hands in a prayer mood then said, "Mrs. Garland, if there is any way possible for you to help my friend Rose , I promise to watch _Wizard of Oz_ instead of acting it out...on a Saturday night...wearing your outfit...with Stone McGillian."

Blanche looked over at comatose Liza Minnelli and hopes Rose is fast.


	6. Chapter 6 The House I live in

**A/N-In this chapter, I might be a little unrealistic in driving time , but it's all for the love of the Golden Girls.**

Dorothy could not believe where she was, she was in Frank Sinatra's dressing room standing face to face with him! _'Ol' Blue eyes'! 'Chairman of the Board'!_ And because she had saved a life, she did something that anybody would have done she thought, but SHE did it! And she was here to be thanked by him!

Frank stood in front of his dressing room mirror in his blue chenille robe and he sees Dorothy in the mirror so he put out his ciggerrate then turned and smiled, put out his hand for her to shake then said, "You're Dorothy Zbornack?"

Her heart was pounding wildly with happiness, her insides were jumping up and down like a giddily teenager but she was doing her best to put on an adult like, cool attitude in front of her singing idol. She put out her hand then said , "Yes sir, and it's an honor to meet you."

He shook her hand then said, "It's my pleasure, I'm honored to meet the woman who saved my cousin, Molly." Dorothy stands proud and she said, "It was reflex really, I saw another human being in trouble and went to help." He nodded his head then said, "Well, it was an incredible thing and I applaud you for it." This time she was the one who nodded her head and in modest, she said, "Thank you."

He invites her to take a seat on the couch then he said, "I have an idea, instead of going back out to sit in the auidance, why don't you stay back here and watch the rest of the concert from the back? On the sidelines?" At first Dorothy is speechless then she said, "Well, that would be fantastic mister Sinatra." He holds up his hand and said, "Frank, please." She said very humbly, "Frank." He then said, "Why don't you go sit down on the couch for a few minutes while I get dressed and we can go out to the stage and you can enjoy the show from back there."

She smiled and said, "I'll just go wait outside." He shook his head and said, "No need, I'll just go back to the bathroom, I won't be long." He turned and got his tuxedo top off the back of the chair at the dressing table then went to the bathroom and Dorothy sat down on the leather-bound couch and couldn't help but wind up giggling like the teenager that is inside of her.

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At that time, Rose is stuck in traffic in Fort Lauderdale and to help pass the time and to hear noise, she turns on the radio and **Peter, Paul and Mary's song 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' ** comes on. Rose rolled her eyes and she said to the radio, "That's what I need! I need a jet plane! Where is the contest to win one of those? This reminds me of the time Cousin Cascais had trouble...oh, come on Rose, now you are starting to tell yourself the stories."

Just then the car in front of her had the headlights come on so she hits her accelerator pad and drives as quick as she can to Miami.

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Back in Liza Minnelli's dressing room, Blanche paces back and forth around the couch where Liza laid on and she looks at her every so often to make sure she is okay then a knock comes on the door and a voice said, "Mrs. Minnelli, I just came to tell you that you have 20 minutes until it's time for you to come onstage."

Blanche's face pales and she looks at Liza and she said to herself very softly, "Come on Blanche, think." The person at the door asked, "Mrs. Minnelli, are you okay?" That gave her an idea and she cleared her throat and then she gave her worst Liza voice impression, "I'm really not, I have a very bad headache." The person behind the door said, "Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Minnelli, is there anything you would like for me to bring you?" Blanche then said again in her fake accent, "Oh no, just laying here is the only thing I can do, I might not be able to be there in 20 minutes but I'll be there as soon as I can."

She then heard the voice say, "I'll leave word with Mister Sinatra and Mister Davis, I hope your head gets better...and your voice Mrs. Minnelli."

Blanche's lets out a big southern air of relief as the person leaves and she looked at Liza, then she walked over to the window and looked out and said, "Oh, come on Rose, don't do into a Yankee now and let me down!"

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Frank comes out of the bathroom and Dorothy stands up and Frank said, "Let's go." Dorothy then said, "Well, I was wondering, I have two friends that are waiting for me and I was just hoping that , well, they could be with me while I watch your show backstage." He smiled and said, "Sure they can, let's go on and meet them."

Dorothy smiled and she turned around and they went outside, Dorothy looked up and down the hallway but no Blanche or Rose and Frank closed the door then asked, "Where are they?" Dorothy then said, "I don't know, they were waiting out here. Well, they must have gone on to sit out front, let's go on."

He motions for her to go on to the stage and he goes out there to thunderous applause, then he picked up the microphone and said, "I'm going to sing a song now that came from a short movie I made in 1945 called **'The House I Live in'**." Everybody applauds again and Dorothy just beams as he started singing.

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Rose opened the door to her home in Miami that she shared with Blanche and she ran as quickly as she could through the living room and down the hall to Blanche's room, she opened the door to her room and goes to the closet. She finally finds the leotard that matched Liza's then she quickly ran out, ran into the kitchen and got a Wal-Mart bag, stuffs it in there and runs to the front door and when she opened it there stood Carol Weston, her thirtysomething , neurotic, self-doubting neighbor and she said, "Hi Rose, I need somebody to talk to, dad is at the hospital and Barbara is down at the station but you know what's strange? They weren't scheduled to work, they vouleentered; why would they do that? You don't think it was because of me do you?"

Rose rolled her eyes then said, "I'm sorry Carol, I'm in a hurry." Carol waves it away then said, "I understand...nobody wants to talk to me...everybody got a reason. I just can't understand why, I 'm nice...I just got a problem but I don't know what it is, what is it Rose?" She sighed then a thought came to her...what would Sophia do? then she said,

"Carol, why don't you go talk to the McGill's' down the street? I hear they are having a seance and they are going to talk to all the dead neighbors about you"

Carol laughed at that then said, "Oh, what kind of person you think I am?" She thinks about it then said, "Of course I have never talked to the dead about me, I could find out something that only they know, excuse me Rose and thank you, I know have a new purpose in life, talking to the dead about me."

Carol turned and ran down the street while Rose just rolled her eyes then turns and gets in the car and said to herself, "Thank you Sophia."

She speeds down the road back to Fort Lauderdale and Blanche.

**A/N-Carol was their neighbor from a spin-off show called **_** Empty Nest**_**, I don't own the rights to that either. :(**

**Sand n' Sable**


	7. Chapter 7 Strangers In The Night

**A/N-Thank you for all the reviewers and followers! This story had a slow start and I even had one rude comment in the beginning that this was boring, I'm glad y'all are enjoying it!**

**Another disclaimers- I do not own rights to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. or Liza Minnelli.**

**Just sit back, relax and let me 'Fly you to the moon!'**

After Frank sang, _**'The House I live in'**_, he sang _**'Fly Me To The Moon'**_ and Dorothy enjoyed every minute of it! She felt like her very soul was flying to the moon! Then he told the auidance, "During the intermission, something happened; My cousin, Molly Terrell was here, and she choked on a huge piece of popcorn that got lodged in her throat. And if it wasn't for this woman, Dorothy Zbornack, she wouldn't be here ! Come on out Dorothy!"

He encourages her to come out and the people give applause that only swell's her joy then the next words is almost unbelievable! He said, "There isn't too much I can say to show my appreciation but I want to sing this next song and dedicate it to her."

Dorothy then hears the strings of the orchestra start-up_** 'Strangers in the Night'**_ and she felt like she was bursting like multi colored fireworks up in the sky as she heard the gentle words,

_**'Strangers in the night,exchanging glances, wandering in the night; what were the chances? We 'd be sharing love before the night was through!**_

_**Something in your eyes was so inviting, something in your smile was so exciting, Something in my heart told me I must have you!**_

Meanwhile, in the back, in Liza Minnelli's dressing room, Blanche was pacing around the room like a caged tiger and she finally sat down in the chair and she tried to calm down listening to the song that Frank was singing then when the last few notes then he went into the cute, jazzy number _**'Mack the Knife' **_ then she said in a low whisper to herself, "Hurry up Rose, or I'm going to start feeling those shark teeth in myself soon."

She laid her head back and tried to relax her neck and mind then a knock came on the door and a voice said, "Miss. Minnelli..." Blanche recognized the voice as the one that came earlier to her and said, "Ma'am, this is Raymond again, Mister Sinatra is going to be singing _**'New York, New York '**_ soon, are you going to be able to join him?"

Blanche jumps up and she looked around the room like a sacred rabbit in a hole then she cleared her voice and said in a voice that she tried to disguise with scratches , "Yes, I am going to be able to join him but I will need some more time, I'm feeling better but I need more time and I'm not going to be able to sing."

Raymond then said, "I will tell mister Sinatra. I'm sorry about your voice, it just sounds terrible, do you want me to have some thing bought to you?"

She rolled her eyes and her heart pounds in fear then she said again in her fake , "sick" Liza voice, "No need, thank you! I have all I need and I think things will be back to normal soon." Then he said, "Yes ma'am, well, I'll go tell Mister Sinatra."

He walked away leaving Blanche to pray to the music God that Rose hurries up!

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Rose is hurrying down the road back to the stadium and she had the radio still going to keep her company. She was listening to the news then she started hearing the car making spurting sounds and she looked around the car, turned on her blinker and pulled over in the parking lot of an eye clinic and she got out of the car, she sighed and went to the front to open the hood. The song, _**'Stuck In The Middle With You' by Stealers Wheel**_ plays on the radio. She realizes after looking around the engine and pulling and doing this and checking on that she can do nothing then she looked around and she said to herself, "Just two blocks away. Grrr...come on Rose, you can do something!"

She went back up to the driver's side, opened the door, turned off the engine, grabbed the bag with the leotard in it then took off in a blaze of glory toward the Memorial Stadium where Blanche was waiting.

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Rose jumped ditches , ran past people wondering why a woman in her late 50's was running like someone just set her dress on fire then she jumped one hedge as her final hurdle to get to the stadium and you could hear Frank's song,_** 'My Way'**_ booming from the walls and she walked around to the back and carefully and quietly, as best she could; opened the heavy doors and she looked up and down and saw a stadium worker and she said, "Damn!" and she shut the door a little ways but not all the way so she could still see the worker.

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Finally the worker leaves and Rose looked around to make sure nobody else is around then she snuck down the hall to Liza's dressing room, on the way , she passed another door that said 'Sammy Davis, Jr.' Her eyes widen but she pushed on, she gets to Liza's door and she softly knocked on the door and Blanche asked in her "sickly" voice, "Who is it?"

Rose said to her ,"It's me Blanche." She hurries over to the door and quickly pulled her in by her arm and asked in her normal southern voice, "What took you so long?" Rose ran in and she said, "Oh, I ran into a lot of things! Stuck in traffic then Carol tackled me at the house and I had to get her off..." Blanche took a quick look down the aisle to see that nobody came then she closed the door then asked Rose, "How did you get her off of you? That girl can stick to you like bee to honey and be stinging you at the same time."

Blanche took the leotard in the bag behind the silk dressing screen and she heard Rose ,

"I sent her to the McGill's down the street, told her they were having a sence and that she should get in and maybe she could talk to the dead about her and boy, did she leap on that like a deer! If you don't get rid of that girl, she will just stay and talk and talk and talk..."

Blanche rolled her eyes then stepped out and put both her hands on Rose's arm then said, "Rose, if you don't stop; I'm going to ask the ghosts at the McGill's come and get you! Now, I'm in the middle of a crises and you are talking endlessly about..."

Just then they hear Frank's voice telling everybody, "I just got word that Liza won't be able to sing..." The audience groans then he said, "She will be here to dance with Sammy Davis Jr., they will both be here in a little while so until then, I will sing you all a song that I enjoy and I hope you all enjoy it just as much."

The tune of _**'New York, New York'**_starts and Blanche looked around the room rather quickly then she saw Liza's wig on a dummy's head and she ran over to go get it and put it on, she carefully checked everything in the dressing room mirror then she turned around and looked at Rose then asked, "Well?"

Rose nodded her head then said, "You look like her twin." Blanche smiled then went over to the door, looked out and she started to go down the aisle to the stage but she saw Dorothy standing there so she went the opposite way. She didn't hear Rose mutter, "On the planet Vulcan." Rose went on out and she walked up to Dorothy and stood beside her. Dorothy noticed her and asked, "Rose, where did you come from?"

Rose looked innocently around then said, "You know Dorothy, from ." Dorothy looked at Rose then back out at Frank and Rose then sighed of relief. They both watched and listened to Frank.

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As Blanche went slowly up the hall, one of the stage hands came out and he asked, "Miss. Minnelli, where are you going?" Blanche kept her head lowered and her hand in front of her eyes then she said in her 'imitation' of Liza's voice, "Why, I'm going up to the stage ." The stage hand looked confused then he asked, "Well, why don't you go that way? It's easier." Blanche looked nervously around then she said, "I just want to go this way, to give myself a bit more time, you heard I wasn't feeling well, didn't you?"

The young man nodded his head slowly than Blanche said, "Well, there you go and now here I go." Blanche strutted off and then Frank started singing, _**"I Got You Under My Skin"**_ and she walked up to the right side of the stage slowly.

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After Frank sang that song, he waved his hand to stop the applause then he said to the audience, "I have an idea, I have a feeling that our heroine of he night, Miss. Dorothy Zbornack is a great singer, I think if we coax her; she will come out here and sing a song with me. What do you say, will you help me try?" Everybody goes wild with applause and Dorothy looked absolutely shocked and Rose smiled and said, "Go on Dorothy! Dorothy said, "I-I-I don't...what?" She gently pushed Dorothy out on stage and she yelled, "She does a great _**"What I'll do?'!"**_

Frank hears her and nods his head then signals to his son, Frank Sinatra Jr. to start the orchestra and Frank hands Dorothy another microphone and they start singing.

Rose beams with pride for her friend and with nobody seeing, Blanche cried a lone tear as she watched her friend and her idol sing a duet and she said, "Knock them dead sister."

**A/N-The fun is FAR from over! Keep reading!**

**Sand n' Sable**


	8. Chapter 8 The Candy Man

**A/N-Here is the latest chapter! Happy reading!**

Frank and Dorothy finished singing **'What I'll do"**, she said "Thank you" to him and with tears of utter joy, she threw a kiss to the audience and a wave then she goes back to stand beside Rose who is also so giddy and thrilled for her friend, she gave her tight hug then they turn to hear Frank say, "Thank you Dorothy, for helping me out on that song. You did a marvelous job, didn't she ladies and gentlemen?"

The crowd gave a rousing round of applause and Dorothy gave a modest bow then Frank picked up a glass of water from a small stool and took a small sip then he said, "I'm going to end the evening , at least for me with a song. It's a Beatles song written by George Harrison, it's a beautiful song, it's one of the best songs, at least love songs and it doesn't say 'I love you' anywhere. Sit back and listen to **'Something."**

The lovely strings of the melody come out and Dorothy and Rose relax as they hear the music and they don't see Sammy Davis, Jr. come up beside them. Dorothy looked over at him and her eyes bulge out in recognition, Rose saw the look on her friend then looked over and she also saw him and Dorothy said, "Sammy Davis Jr.!"

He looked at her and smiled and said, "And you must be Dorothy, the talk of the evening!" They shake hands then she said, "Oh, I'm pleased to meet you Mister Davis!" He then said, "Please, call me Sammy."

Rose cleared her throat then Dorothy said, "Oh, this is my friend Rose Nylund." They shook hands and Rose said, "Oh, it's an honor to meet the 'Candy man!'" They all chuckle and then listen to the last of Frank singing and Frank said, "Good night!" to the audience and he walks to Dorothy, Rose and Sammy and he took Dorothy's hand then said, "Dorothy, it's been a pleasure and thank you again for your courage tonight. Sammy , I know you will do a fantastic job as always but this old man has to go lay down, I'm sorry. Good night."

Dorothy beams with happiness and she said, "Good night Frank." He waves to the trio and he leaves then the happy tune of **'Candy man' **comes on and Sammy then said, "Well, that's my cue ladies, have a wonderful evening."

He leaves to go start his tap dance routine with 'Liza' and to sing the song than Dorothy turned her head to Rose and asked, "You don't know that _'Ol Blue Eyes'_ is Frank Sinatra's nickname but you do know the _'Candy man'_ is Sammy Davis Jr.'s? Rose then tells her, "Well, I always play it when I'm eating my Reese's, makes it taste better."

Dorothy looks at her then does a double take at her when she tried to watch Sammy and 'Liza' who is really Blanche. Then turns to watch Sammy as he sang the song then 'Liza' comes out, at first she doesn't notice anything. Onstage, Sammy does, 'Liza' dances by him and he grabs her waist then he does his own double take then said in a low, low voice, "You're not Liza."

She keeps smiling and through clinched teeth, she said, "Just go along." Smiling but doing the same as her with the clinched teeth, he asked, "Where is Liza?" Blanche told him "She's fine, just a ...little under the weather." "This should be an interesting story...can you dance?" She looked at him and she said, "Hell yeah, just watch me...but don't ask me to sing." He twirls her around then said, "Gotcha!"

He twirled her out to far and she came almost face to face with Dorothy so she just gave her one of Blanche's famous southern sassy smile and Dorothy had a look of utter shock on her face then she pointed to Blanche, looked at Rose who just shrugged her shoulders then went back to watching the show.

Blanche is doing a wonderful job dancing ! She is stylin' and profiling', she picked up a red glittered top hat and she gave Sammy a run for his money, he almost couldn't keep up! Then somebody from the audience yelled, 'Let Liza sing _**'Cabernet'**_!" Sammy and Liza looked at each other than Sammy said, "I'm sorry Ladies and gentlemen but Liza's throat is scratchy and red, the doc said she couldn't even speak but she had to come to give you the best of her dancing!" The crowded stadium thunders with applause then Sammy sings _**'Mr. Bojangles'.**_

Dorothy turned to Rose, pulls her back and said, "I think an explanation is called for Rose and NOW!" Rose shifts around nervously then she breathes in a huge breath then said in one whole rambling sentence what happened, "When you went in to meet Frank Sinatra, Blanche went into Liza Minnelli's room, tried on an outfit of hers and the zipper broke, she didn't know what to do so she sent me back home, I got Blanche's old tap dancing outfit when she and I tapped danced for a while and the outfit looked exactly like Liza's so she just switched outfits and when Liza walked in on Blanche trying on the outfit she fell and hit her head and she's been out ever since so that's why Blanche had to go on in her place but everything's working out, Blanche is dancing great! She's even better than Liza!"

Dorothy looked around, not really sure if she understands or believes Rose's story then she said, "Let's just watch the rest of the show Rose, maybe your story will make sense later." Rose shrugs her shoulders then they watch the rest of Sammy's show with Liza. He then sang _**"I gotta be me'**_ then he said good night and he and 'Liza ' took a bow then quickly left the stage.

They joyfully left the stage, sweat glistens down them both then when they both finally catch their breath, he told Blanche, "Oh you did an excellent job! That was superb!" Blanche then said, "Oh, I haven't had such a good time since...six months ago with Adam Szulczski when he showed me where he worked."

Rose then looked at her and said, "Blanche, you said Adam works at a gym."

Blanche smiled then said, "Exactly, our favorite was new trampoline/ treadmill."

Sammy looked confused then he said, "Wait, wait, would somebody please tell me what is going on? ..." He then turned to Blanche, pointed his finger at her then said, "You can start, what happened to Liza?"

Blanche looked at Rose then at Dorothy who only puts her hands up and Blanche realizes she's on her own as she thinks what she should say.

**A/N-Well, how is it? One more fun chapter coming up!**

**Sand n' Sable**


	9. Chapter 9 Dorothy's night

**A/N-Thanks to all who have read this and put this on favorite lists and following it! I think FF is hicupping again! I only got 1 review from my last chapter and several people have complained that they didn't get it, I hope you all get this one!**

Blanche was standing in front in Sammy Davis, Jr., otherwise known as the "Candy man." Dorothy and Rose were on either side of her and her mind was blank and she was twisting her hands than she just took a big dose of fresh air in her lungs to work up her courage then she said,"Well, you see...it really started out so innocently and things just ...happened ! I...um, went to Miss Minnelli's room, and I saw that she wasn't in and being just a little ol' simple girl, I sorta went in and I took some liberties and I tried some things on then I found that Miss Minnelli and I wore the same size outfit! And, well, the zipper stuck and, haha, tore the outfit a teensy, bit but like I said, I had the same outfit by sheer coincidence at home so Rose here..."

Sammy turned his head and looked at Rose who only smiled and looked her most innocent and simple charming self then he turned back to Blanche with a confused , bewildered look on his face and Blanche continues, "Went and got the outfit from our house back in Miami, she came back as fast as she could, enduring all kinds of hardships to return here and I got dressed quicker than lightning in the massive sky! I passed myself off as Liza only to save your show and you did say that I did a tremendous job! " She gives a pose like she is saying "Ta-da!" And all the girls look at Sammy who is still speechless for the moment then he finally said in a very calm,

"I stood right here and I listened and I just have to ask, did you ever work for the _'Carol Burnett show'_?"

The girls look at each other and the tension is broke and they all laugh including Sammy but then after a few minutes, he does a slicing movement across his neck , the signal to cut whatever they are saying or doing off then he said, "Now I know Liza, let's get this outfit back to her, on the hanger before she wakes up and you'll be doing your tap dancing at prison...and those women really don't like it if you make a misstep."

Blanche looks at the girls and they all take a slight breath of relief then they all turned and followed Sammy down to Liza's room. Sammy opened the door and he saw Liza still on the couch, and he signaled for Blanche to come in and she tiptoed in, very, very softly! Halfway past the couch, she heard Liza moaning and stirring so she stops frozen in her tracks then after a few seconds, Sammy urges her to go on and Blanche got behind the dressing screen, quickly undressed and put the outfit on the padded hanger. She got dressed then in her own clothes then got out of the dressing room.

Once they were back out in the hallway, Blanche turned to Sammy and said, "Oh, thank you ! You helped a woman in distress, you are a true gentleman Sammy Davis Jr." She kissed him on the cheek, he blushes then said, "Well, I could tell that this was just..." He made a motion with his hand then he said, "Just one of those things and you did help us tonight. And Dorothy...you all bought life to tonight!"

Just then somebody from down the other end of the hall way said, "Mister Davis! The reporters would like to talk to you!"

Sammy waved at him then said, "I got to go. Take care ladies."

Dorothy put her hand out for him to shake and she said, "Thank you for a truly remarkable night Sammy." He took her hand and said, "Dorothy, we have you to thank or we would be planning a funeral now. Good night ladies."

He turned to go down the hall and he left them tap dancing to the reporter waiting for him and the girls turned to each other and broke out in nervous giggles and they go to the back door of the stadium then Rose remembered something then she said, "Oh girls, there's something I need to tell you about the car." Dorothy and Blanche looked at each other and wonder, '_What now?'_

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Finally all three women walk into the kitchen, Rose went and sat down at the round kitchen table, Dorothy stood by the kitchen island and Blanche stood by the sink and they all looked at each other and Dorothy said, "Oh, tonight was great! Even if it took us an extra two hours to get home! The whole evening was magical! I got to finally go to see Frank Sinatra in concert! I met him and I even sang with him on stage! This was the BEST night ever!"

Blanche then asked her, "What about your wedding night?" Dorothy looked at her then asked, "Which one? If you are talking about Stanley, this beat it 9 times over! If you are talking about Lucas...well..." All the girls burst out laughing then Dorothy said, "Either of you tell him and I will grind you into corn for Rose's Uncle Neickflmer back in St. Olaf."

Rose then said, "Don't be silly Dorothy, he stopped raising hogs a long time ago. He now raises sunflowers for the St. Olaf aquarium."

Dorothy and Blanche look at each other than shake the cobwebs from their minds than Blanche said, "Oh, I had a grand time! I got to dance with Sammy Davis Jr.!"

Rose then said, "And I...got to drive all over Miami?" Dorothy laughed then said, "Rose, you got to go to Frank Sinatra's concert, met him, Sammy and were the heroine of the evening!" Dorothy and Blanche clap their hands then Dorothy said, "Oh, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this evening!" She looked at her watch then said, "Or rather last night! It's five o'clock in the morning!"

Just then the phone rang, Blanche went to go answer it and she said, "Hello? Yes, this is her...what? Why, you're welcome! Oh, it was an honor! Yes, thank you. Goodbye."

She hung up the phone than walked over and Rose and Dorothy looked at each other than Dorothy asked, "Well? Who was that?" Rose then said, "That was none other than Miss Liza Minnelli herself!" Rose and Dorothy gasp in shock then Blanche continued, "She woke up and she got Sammy to tell her what happened after she threaten to turn the Candy man into the Pretzel man and she called to say than you because if I hadn't gone on for her, she could have been sued by her manager, the entertainment company she worked for and all kinds of people so she just gave me a big ol' thank you!"

The girls all squeal with laughter than Blanche said, "But it's not over for you Dorothy. You're next surprise should be coming in a few minutes." Dorothy than looked surprised then said, "What could it be now?"

Blanche than looked at her watch then said, "One...two...three!" The doorbell then rang and she went to answer it and there stood...Lucas! Dorothy ran to him and they hugged and kissed then Dorothy turned to the girls and she said, "You girls are the best friends I ever had and I thank you. No, you are more than friends, you are sisters."

**A/N-Sammy Davis Jr. was a guest star on the Carol Burnett show. It's on You Tube, check it out.**

**I hoped you all enjoyed this piece I wrote to honor Bea.**

**Thank you for being a friend!**

**Sand n' Sable**


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